Should my solicitor help with 'non legal' survey queries

mettlemickey

Hi,

Im in the process of buying a house.

Can anyone clarify if my solicitor should be helping with issues arising from the Homebuyers Report? Specifically, it identified some repair work thats needed to the chimney. Im dealing with the agent directly to try and get the vendors to resolve it, but they (the vendors, the agent or both...) are not being very helpful.

When i sold my place i seemed to get no end of queries through the solictors about various things regarding the property. But when i asked my solicitor if she could help with this issue she just said she "only deals with the legal issues, anything non legal thats come out of the survey is between me and the agent".

Is this correct?

It would be good to get some back from my solicitor in this matter, but she doesnt seem interested. Do i have unrealistic expectations?

Thanks in advance.

Jason

Dan-Dan

From my experience , this is true , they are interested in protecting you in regards to enjoyment of the property , and keeping you out of the brown stuff , or at least make you aware of issues and give their recommendations

I dont think they really care if the front wall needs repointing, for example

Niv

I am sure she will help if you pay her for that service.

G_M

1) Do not "get the vendors to resolve it". At best they will do a cheap bodge job.

2) Solicitors are not surveyors - they don't understand chimneys (though they undertand ownership of chimneys).

3) Solicitors are not (normally) negotiators - they don't haggle over sale price (unless you pay them to).

4) How serious is the chimney issue? It's falling down? It's blocked by a birds nest? It needs a bit of pointing?

5) if you want the chimney fixed, fix it yourself, properly, after you have purchased.

6) If youdon't want tobuy a house wih a chimney issue, withdraw from the purchase

7) if you want to reduce your purchase price tocover the costof fixing the chimney later, get a builder to giveyou a quote, then write to the vendor, or your EA, with a copyof the survey and builders quote, saying your newpurchase price will be £X. Once this is agreed, writetothe solicitor giving the new, agreed, purchase price.

Richard_Webster

1) Do not "get the vendors to resolve it". At best they will do a cheap bodge job.

2) Solicitors are not surveyors - they don't understand chimneys (though they undertand ownership of chimneys).

3) Solicitors are not (normally) negotiators - they don't haggle over sale price (unless you pay them to).

4) How serious is the chimney issue? It's falling down? It's blocked by a birds nest? It needs a bit of pointing?

5) if you want the chimney fixed, fix it yourself, properly, after you have purchased.

6) If youdon't want tobuy a house wih a chimney issue, withdraw from the purchase

7) if you want to reduce your purchase price tocover the costof fixing the chimney later, get a builder to giveyou a quote, then write to the vendor, or your EA, with a copy of the survey and builders quote, saying your new purchase price will be £X. Once this is agreed, writetothe solicitor giving the new, agreed, purchase price.

Whilst I generally agree with this, there is nothing wrong with your solicitor writing to the seller's solicitor asking for work to be done or price concessions to be made. In any event at some point the solicitor will need to know - no good exchanging contracts and completing and asking your solicitor why some work had not been done when it was all negotiated through the agent sand your solicitor never knew about it!